


Ghost

by samsarapine



Category: Naruto
Genre: Blanket Permission, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-15
Updated: 2011-12-15
Packaged: 2017-10-27 09:21:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/294183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samsarapine/pseuds/samsarapine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Megastar actor Iruka Umino has been told to stay away from paparazzi.  Especially a silver-haired man known as 'Ghost.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ghost

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Taudi](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Taudi).
  * Translation into Русский available: [Призрак](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8444578) by [ale4el](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ale4el/pseuds/ale4el)



> Written for the Winter 2011 KakaIru_fest exchange. Huge thanks to Taudi for the wonderful prompt, to Caeseria for the beta, and the mods and comm for being their incredible, wonderful selves.

  
**Ghost**   


 

Iruka yanked Kurenai's hand. "This way!"

They ran, weaving in and out of people on the crowded sidewalk until they came to an alley. Iruka pulled Kurenai around the corner and looked for cover, his heart beating double time. "There!"

Kurenai balked. "I'm not climbing into a garbage skip!"

"Not even if your life is at stake?"

"But my suit!"

There was a ping, and a small round hole magically appeared in the trash can beside the entrance to the alley. "There's no time!" Iruka slung her over his shoulder and opened the cover of the skip. "Get in!"

"Cut!"

In an instant, people swarmed Iruka, touching up his make-up, offering him cranberry juice ('your favorite, right, Mr. Umino?'), repositioning pieces of colored tape on the ground, moving equipment, and doing the million and one other things that Iruka had learned to ignore while working.

Iruka carefully lowered Kurenai to the ground. "I wasn't too rough, was I?"

She laughed. "I wouldn't complain even if you were! It's not every day a girl gets thrown over Iruka Umino's shoulder. Women around the world would kill to be in my place!"

"Er…" He hated it when people said things like that. He scratched the back of his head and smiled with a wince. "But you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Umino."

"Call me Iruka, please—"

"Umino!"

The director's voice cut through the chaos; the noise lulled for a beat before picking up again.

"Yes, Tsunade?" Iruka asked, turning.

Tsunade Senju's glare dared him to inconvenience her. "Anko laid out the costume for the next shoot in your trailer. I want you changed and back on set in twenty minutes."

Considering that the next shoot was one of the hot sex scenes that _Icha Icha_ films were famous for, Iruka thought he'd probably be able to make the change with time to spare. He doubted the outfit would be much more than underwear. "Got it."

"Make-up will be waiting for you. I want to keep _Icha Icha Instinct_ on schedule and finished by the end of the month, or that letch of a novelist who wrote it will start hanging around when he gets back from Italy."

"Everyone on the set loves Jiraiya," Iruka pointed out, smiling.

Her frown relaxed and she shook her head, arms crossed and bosom displayed. "I know. You're all idiots. Now, hop to it, soldier." She turned to Kurenai and her frown reappeared. "Yuuhi! Are you an actress or a bed mattress? I need more emotion from you…"

Iruka tuned out the babble of the crew as he walked to his trailer. The day was gorgeous, the kind Los Angeles was famous for, blue skies, warm sun and a slight breeze blowing in off the ocean. He breathed deeply. As hectic as his life was, it had its compensations.

He greeted the security guard watching the trailers. "Hello, Gai. Anything going on?"

"All's Quiet!" Gai boomed, giving Iruka a big smile and a thumb's up. "Call me if you have a problem, Mr. Umino!"

"Call me Iruka, please." He really hated the star treatment. "We've been working together for the past three weeks. I think we can drop the formalities."

Tears formed in Gai's eyes. "You are the Most Kind and Generous Person I have ever had the honor of Protecting."

Iruka patted his shoulder. "Yeah, well, thanks." He started toward his trailer and waved. "See you later!"

"Farewell!"

Iruka bit his lip to keep from laughing as he took the steps to his trailer two at a time. Gai honestly had more stage presence than half the actors he'd worked with, himself included. He imagined Gai outfitted in a tuxedo, on stage, enthusing about an award he'd received, and grinned as he opened his trailer door.

"Yo."

Iruka paused, half-in and half-out of the door. A silver-haired stranger, clad only in boxers and a rakish eye patch, waved a hair dryer at him. "Be done in a minute."

"Who the hell are you? And why are you in my trailer in your underwear?" He looked for Gai, but the security guard had disappeared.

Which meant he was on his own. He stood in the open doorway and assessed the man for a threat.

He looked relaxed and somewhat bored, but Iruka had a gut feeling that his appearance was deceptive. He was lean and slim, and he stood with a confidence that implied he was quite comfortable with his relative nakedness. His hair seemed to leap from his head, though some fell forward over the left side of his face, making a partial mask for the eye patch. A scar trailed downward from his brow line to disappear behind the black patch, only to emerge again below it and end halfway down his cheek. In fact, when Iruka looked closer, there were a number of silver scars marring his pale body.

The man beamed, the expression in his dark, uncovered eye unexpectedly shrewd, if friendly enough. "I got caught in the rain." He brandished Iruka's hair dryer again. "I'm just drying my clothes."

Iruka glanced past the man; he could see a dripping t-shirt and pair of jeans hanging haphazardly from the shower curtain rod. "Caught in the rain."

"That's right."

The man's torso rippled with muscle. Between that and the scars, Iruka reckoned he probably wouldn't be a pushover, and shifted a bit more outside. "It's sunny. Or was there a freak micro-shower?"

The man scratched the back of his head and smiled wider. "Did I say rain? I meant a garden hose."

"Ah. I see." Iruka glared. "Because, what? There's someone running around with a really long hose squirting people?"

"I'd be first in line if it were you doing the squirting." His deep voice was throaty with innuendo.

"Get the hell out of my trailer!"

"Can I at least dry my boxers first?" He slipped his thumbs under the elastic waistband of his shorts.

Before he could push them off, Iruka stalked to him and grabbed his wrist. "Look, just-- we're about the same height. Wear—" He blinked.

What the hell was he saying? He should be kicking the bastard out of his trailer! He froze, confused, and stared at the wrist he held.

It was warm and hard. The bones pressed into Iruka's hand with a strength that should have felt frightening, but instead, felt almost reassuring. He didn't try to pull away.

"That's very kind of you." His smile stretched so broad that his eye closed in a happy little arc. "You can call me Crow."

Iruka's breath caught in his throat. He released Crow's wrist and backed toward the closet, glancing at the clothes, but keeping his attention on Crow. He pulled out several items. "Some of these should fit," he said, throwing them on the settee.

He moved further back as Crow went to the settee, careful to keep the open door within a step or two in case he needed to run. Still, in the small trailer, Crow was close enough that Iruka could smell his aftershave, something dark and woodsy, strangely suited for a man standing half-naked in an actor's trailer in one of the most metropolitan cities of the world.

Crow regarded the clothes. "Hmm. I don't really look good in green, blue washes me out, and red is too loud for me." He turned to Iruka and smiled again, tilting his head. "Do you have anything in black?"

* * *

Iruka wasn't sure how he'd let Crow talk him into coming with him for a drink. One minute he'd been poised near the trailer door, ready to bolt if he needed to escape, and the next, Crow had taken his hand and was leading him to a nearby bar.

And he'd just gone along with it.

He took the time while Crow was waving down the bartender and ordering beers for them to try to pull himself together.

Yes, Crow was strangely charming, in a pushy kind of way. But there was that air of potential danger to him. Iruka had never really met anyone like him before, and he was disturbed to realize he had a strong curiosity to learn more about him. Yet the reasonable part of him, the part that drove his daily life, that he relied on to make rational decisions, argued that his actions were ill-considered at best, and pretty much insane at worst.

At least they were in a public place. Iruka reasoned that Crow wouldn't try anything. Not in front of witnesses.

Crow sat next to Iruka and handed him a beer. "My treat."

Iruka set his beer on the table. "Why did you strip down to your underwear?"

"Because I was wet."

"Don't give me that bullshit. You'd soaked the clothes in the shower just before I came in," Iruka said, keeping his voice even. "You probably overheard me talking to Gai."

Crow smiled, an expression of casual innocence. "Why would you think that?"

"Because the shower head was still dripping." Iruka leaned back in his chair and frowned. "Now tell me the truth. I figure you're paparazzi."

Crow hmmed and looked thoughtful. "And if I am?"

"I prefer to be civil. If that won't work, however, I won't hesitate to call the police."

"You're quite an interesting man, Iruka Umino." Crow leaned forward as if sharing a secret. "Do you expect paparazzi to tell you that they're paparazzi?"

"Expect, no. Hope? Yes."

"Very interesting, indeed." Crow leaned back again and reached for his beer. "No, I can honestly say that I'm not paparazzi." He raised his glass. "Cheers."

Iruka didn't respond. He watched as Crow drank. "You still haven't told me why you stripped down in my trailer and threw your clothes in the shower."

Crow put down his beer, scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Perhaps because I thought it might keep you from calling for security right away if you saw I was unarmed?"

"That has to be the stupidest reason in the world."

"But it worked," Crow pointed out. "Your turn." He picked up his beer again. "Why didn't you yell for help?"

"I've been asking myself the same question," Iruka admitted.

"Because you've got a 'helping people' thing," Crow said. "If someone's in trouble, you don't turn your back on them." He smirked into his beer.

Iruka blinked. He examined Crow's face, the relaxed laziness of his pose. They didn't look feigned. He was pretty sure the Crow was telling him what he thought was the truth. Remembering times when his manager had said something similar didn't make him feel any easier.

He really hated when people exploited common kindness as if it were some kind of weakness, and it angered him to think Crow had done that to him. Iruka firmly squashed his impulse to get to know Crow better. He didn't need people like that in his life.

Still, he was in public, and didn't want to cause a disturbance. He couldn't just hit the man, as much as he wanted to. "All right. I'll believe you," he said, reining in his anger as Crow finished his beer. "Now answer my next question honestly, too."

"A test?" Crow didn't look at all apprehensive about it.

"A test," Iruka confirmed. "So, if you're not paparazzi, why were you wandering around in a restricted area?"

"I got lost on the road of life."

Iruka sighed, tired of the clever comebacks. "Try again."

"I'm a stalker. Your picture is plastered over every square inch of my apartment."

"Disturbing, especially if it's true. Which it isn't, I bet." Iruka glared. "Try again."

"I wanted to see if I could do it."

"Hmm." Iruka examined Crow's expression. Closer. "Not the total truth."

Crow looked at him with open admiration. "You're quite good."

"I'm an actor. My profession is watching people. So, what's the rest of it?"

Crow sighed. "I know one of the crew members on the set. I was curious about things, so he let me in."

"His name?"

"You've got to be kidding."

Iruka hadn't expected him to tell, and was already planning to talk to Genma about new background checks on the shoot crew. He pushed his chair back, standing. "Thanks for the drink."

"You didn't touch it."

"I'm not much of a drinker."

"You're angry."

"Yes, I am."

"I've fallen for you, you know. Right from your first panicked look for the security guard."

Yes, his temper was definitely simmering. Some thrill-seeking jerk and a crew member who couldn't say 'no' had decided to play a stupid, stupid prank on him. Tsunade was going to kill him for being late. "You can stop now. It's over. I have to get back to the set."

Crow smiled, eye bowed closed. "I look forward to seeing you again."

Iruka didn't bother to answer, and didn't look back as he left.

* * *

Tsunade was indeed furious when he got back to the shoot, especially since he still had to return to his trailer to change into his underwear and a robe and go through make-up. The artificially junk-filled skip made Iruka feel claustrophobic during the filming of the love scene, and although no one said anything to him, he noticed that Kurenai looked worried.

He wasn't surprised. He'd been distracted and annoyed. His performance had been crap.

His encounter with Crow ate at his thoughts. His infuriating smile. The angle of his cheekbones. The faint scar running above and below the black eye-patch. The long, silver hair tied with leather at the nape of his neck, and springing from his forehead like lightning. His dark eye, watching, judging, misleading, laughing…

"Iruka?"

He started. "Genma!" He shook his head to clear his thoughts, then turned to his manager with a smile. "Sorry. My mind's been elsewhere." He nodded to the young man with bleached gray hair and round glasses who stood behind Genma. "Hello."

Genma looked as laid back as always, his ever-present toothpick sticking out of the side of his mouth, but Iruka could detect concern in his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

Iruka shook his head. "No. I'm fine."

"This is Dr. Yakushi. I'd like you to let him take a look at you. You weren't yourself during the filming."

"It was that bad, huh?" Of course it had been. He winced. "Really, it's nothing, just a stupid prank."

Genma straightened, alert. "What kind of a prank?"

"A guy was in my trailer. He wasn't crazy or anything, just a friend of one of the shoot crew. It just shook me up a little, that's all."

Genma looked edgy. "I'll talk to security." He stepped back and motioned. "In the meantime, why don't we go back to your trailer so that the doctor can look at you?"

"Really, there's nothing wrong with me..."

But regardless of Iruka's protests, once they reached the trailer, Genma leaned in the doorway and watched as the young doctor examined Iruka. "Did you eat something funny for lunch?"

Iruka rolled his eyes, but otherwise remained relaxed while the doctor took his blood pressure. "I ate the same thing everyone else did."

"Then what gives? You're too professional to let a prank rattle you," Genma replied. "Hell, from the stories I've heard, you used to be a pretty active prankster yourself."

Iruka pondered while the doctor unwrapped the cuff from his arm and shone a light in his eyes. Maybe Genma had a point. He felt itchy, almost spooked, sitting on the settee with his shirt off while the doctor poked and prodded him, the skin on his arms prickling with gooseflesh.

The thing was, when he thought about it, he didn't feel like his uneasiness was centered around Crow. It felt more general than that, like a threat that was hidden.

Crow had been anything _but_ hidden.

"You're perfectly healthy as far as I can tell," Dr. Yakushi said. He tucked his stethoscope into his medical duffel and pulled out a small bottle. "Your blood pressure and heart rate are a little high, but not anything to worry about. It's most likely due to mild anxiety, either from the incident you described, or even from the medical examination itself. These are relaxants. Take two a half hour before you go to bed tonight. They'll help you sleep."

"You've been working hard," Genma said. "Maybe a good night's rest will help."

Iruka shrugged into his shirt. "It can't hurt," he said, taking the bottle from the doctor. "Thank you."

Doctor Yakushi smiled, his round glasses a bright strobe as they caught the light. "It's my pleasure." After shaking hands with Iruka and Genma, he left the trailer.

Iruka buttoned his shirt, and frowned as Genma continued to stare at him. "What?"

Genma closed the trailer door and chewed thoughtfully on his toothpick for a moment, and then took Iruka's elbow and leaned close, frowning. "Look, I didn't want to tell you, but there's a rumor floating around that Ghost's in town."

"Ghost?" Iruka shivered. The legendary guerrilla paparazzi, responsible for breaking so many careers. There were rumors that he made millions from blackmailing vulnerable performers. "I thought he was following the royals."

"With luck, he is. But be careful, okay? You're as squeaky clean as your reputation, just the kind of person he likes to go after. Don't let yourself get set up, and keep your cell with you at all times. Got it?"

Iruka nodded. The last thing he wanted to do was find himself involved with drugs and underage prostitutes, the hallmarks of some of Ghost's most common set ups. "What does he look like?"

"I don't know," Genma said, shaking his head. "I've heard that he's younger than most pros, and has silver-gray hair." He didn't seem to notice the catch in Iruka's breathing, because he continued. "Just watch out for strange people, okay? I used to work with Itachi Uchiha. What Ghost did to him wasn't pretty."

A shiver went down Iruka's back. Young. Silver-gray hair. Wet clothing, draped over a shower curtain rod. "That's why he lost control and assaulted his family?"

"Yeah. The kid never did drugs before that."

A vision leapt into Iruka's mind, of Itachi Uchiha meeting a silver-haired man with a dangerous air, somewhere unexpected, somewhere isolated, somewhere exciting…

Was Crow the Ghost?

Iruka didn't want to believe it. Yes, something had felt dangerous about Crow. But for all of the caution he'd used when he was with Crow in the trailer and at the bar, he hadn't been cautious because he'd felt threatened. "I'll be careful," he said, meeting Genma's gaze. "Don't worry."

Maybe he really wouldn't have to worry about it. Maybe he'd never see Crow again.

He smiled as Genma lightly punched his shoulder, and ignored the empty feeling that settled in his stomach.

* * *

Iruka loved to run the lower arroyo just after sunrise. It always cleared his head.

Today the air was crisp, and the only sounds were his feet hitting the packed earth and the sounds of nature around him: early morning bird song, the music of the flowing water, the wind in the brush and the trees. Dog walkers were still in bed, and the occasional foul odor from refuse scattered along the path was muted, yet to be unlocked by the sun. He had the entire place to himself.

He looked ahead to see the bridge, his half-way marker. The deep arcs of the span seemed to hang suspended, graceful silhouetted curves and bars strung against the brightening sky. He breathed deeply and pushed his pace a little faster, just because it felt good.

A few moments later, he realized someone else was enjoying an early morning run, too, from the rhythmic pound of feet coming toward him. He rounded a corner of the stream and pulled up, startled, panting hard and wondering if he should panic.

"Yo!" Crow slowed to a walk in front of him, impossibly graceful and much too attractive for Iruka's comfort, his slim, muscular body clad in black sweats and a tight white tank. He slouched to a halt and put his hands on his hips, waiting for Iruka to approach him.

As Iruka came closer, he was annoyed to notice that he wasn't even breathing hard. "Yo, yourself. Are you following me?"

Crow smiled, his eye arcing. "Seeing as I was approaching you, I hardly think so."

"You know what I mean." Iruka frowned. "Did your friend tell you where I run, too?"

"He might have mentioned it," Crow admitted. "Do you have time for coffee?"

Iruka stared. "Do you think I'm stupid? You're stalking me!"

Crow laughed. "Stupid isn't a word I'd associate with you. Naïve, on the other hand..."

"You're not making your own case any better." Iruka debated his options. Run away now, go with Crow and escape later when there was a chance, or just say to hell with it and let Crow buy him coffee. "I don't have any money on me."

"No worries. I still owe you for the clothes." Crow turned and began to amble toward the path leading back to the parking lot.

Iruka caught up and fell into step with him. "You're returning them, right? That shirt was one of my favorites."

"I've already sold it. Got top dollar, too. I think the woman was going to cut it up and sell the pieces on eBay. I told her you wore it during one of the sex scenes in the movie you're filming."

"Liar." Iruka couldn't suppress a grin. "I want them washed and pressed."

"I'm telling you. She'll make millions."

"What coffee shop are we going to?"

"The one around the corner from the studio. I don't want to make you late for work."

"Creepy stalker," Iruka muttered, shaking his head.

"Mm hm." Crow smiled, eye arced. "The best. I'll make sure that your latte is skim. You've got sex scenes to film."

"I knew it," Iruka said, his smile fading. He sighed. "Damn. You really must be paparazzi."

"No, 'fraid not."

"What else could you be?"

"How about a ninja assassin, hired to protect you?"

Iruka shot an annoyed glance at him. "No. Really."

"A jogging coffee fanatic?"

He didn't even bother to reply to that one.

"Your lover."

Iruka stopped in his tracks, horrified. "What?"

Crow continued walking. "A man can dream, can't he?" floated back to Iruka.

"You ass!" Iruka jogged to catch up to him. "Stop fooling around!"

"You know me so well," Crow murmured.

Iruka felt himself go red. "I'm not gay."

"Mmm."

Iruka decided it was better to go on the attack. "Are you?"

"I don't do labels." Crow seemed as relaxed as if they were talking about the weather.

"You didn't answer my question!"

"Would you feel differently about me if I were?"

Iruka could feel his blush deepen. "Of course not."

"'Not that there's anything wrong with it'," Crow said lightly.

"I didn't say that!"

"Hmm."

"I didn't!"

"I heard you the first time."

"I'd stop getting the straight romance roles," Iruka pointed out. "Gays get stereotype-cast all the time."

"Tough industry."

"Damn it!" Iruka clutched his fists. "Stop judging me!"

Crow paused and took his wrist, pulling Iruka to a stop. His expression was gentle. "I'm not judging you. You're judging yourself."

Iruka stared at him. "I think I'd know if I were attracted to men..." he stammered.

Crow shrugged. "Things change. People change. Circumstances--"

"—change," Iruka finished for him, dazed. Was he really so harsh on himself? Had he cheated himself out of opportunities for love for the sake of his career?

"Mmm." Crow smiled, a genuine one. Iruka's heart began to pound harder. "Don't worry about it. We're only getting coffee, after all."

"Just coffee," Iruka whispered.

He suspected he was lying.

He just wasn't sure if it was to Crow, or to himself.

* * *

Iruka managed to pull himself together for the shoot, but he suspected it was mainly due to his insistence that he get his coffee to go before he said good-bye to Crow as quickly as he could. He wanted to think more about what had happened that morning, but not while he was on the set.

His efforts paid off, at least as far as reassuring the people around him.

"Glad those pills helped," Genma said after Tsunade yelled 'cut!' He handed Iruka a towel.

"I didn't need them," Iruka replied, mopping his face and grimacing as his makeup smeared the cloth. "I ended up crashing on my own."

"As long as you slept." Genma rolled his eyes when Iruka held the towel out to him. "As if I want your greasepaint all over my suit. Give it to a crew member. I'm taking you to lunch."

"Let me wash up and change, first. Tsunade said I'm done for the next two days. They're going to work on Kurenai's scenes." He suspected Tsunade was giving him a break to get his head together, and was grateful for her uncharacteristic tact in arranging things for the time off.

"Great. I'll meet you outside in ten minutes."

Genma's favorite lunch menu turned out to be Japanese. Iruka sipped his miso soup, trying to decide if he'd be responsible and spend the next two days catching up with the business side of his career, or give himself a break. He felt like he needed one.

"I've talked to security," Genma said, carefully picking the bones from his grilled fish. "There shouldn't be any more incidents like yesterday's."

"Hmm." No more visits in his trailer from Crow. Iruka ignored the sliver of disappointment he felt. "Thanks."

"Like I said before, I'm worried about the rumors that the Ghost is in town." Genma pointed at Iruka's tsukemono. "Are you going to eat that?"

"Yes," Iruka replied. "Order more if you're so greedy."

"It doesn't taste as good unless it's from someone else's plate." Genma grinned.

Iruka smiled back, but hesitated. A question had been going through his head since his talk with Crow earlier that morning. Genma was pretty discreet when he thought something was important. "I've been thinking about something," he said slowly, trying to decide how to frame the conversation. "If you knew that an actor who played a lot of straight leads was really gay, how damaging do you think it might be to his career if it were to get out?"

"In the industry?" Genma shrugged. "Nobody would give a shit, as long as it didn't impact the bottom line. But even these days, I think it would be a big deal with the public."

"Which translates into risky sales and threats to bottom lines." Iruka sighed. "Yeah, that's about what I figured."

"I think it might be a little better for television actors. But television or film, we're a pretty risk-adverse industry." Genma lifted an eyebrow. "Why the question?"

Iruka poked at his tempura. "Someone said something that made me think about it, and I was a little shocked at my response. I thought it would make a big difference. I wasn't happy to realize that I was that bigoted."

"I'm not saying the industry isn't," Genma pointed out.

"I know. I think it is, too. But then I started wondering, 'What if it were me? What if I was gay and wanted the better-paying straight roles?'" He sighed.

"And?"

"I guess I'd hope I'd be strong enough to not live a lie," Iruka said. "But I don't know."

"Big philosophical questions aren't your usual thing. Is something going on?"

Iruka hesitated again. "Maybe," he finally said. "At least enough to make me consider a few things I hadn't ever really thought about before."

"Is this about the Ghost?"

"Partially, I guess." He put down his chopsticks. "Not directly, though."

"Have you been feeling uneasy?"

Iruka nodded. "At times. There were a couple of times I felt like something wasn't quite right, yesterday."

"You've got great instincts, Iruka." Genma leaned forward. "Really. Trust them."

Iruka could feel his face warm at Genma's concerned tone. "Bento and deep personal insights." Iruka shook his head and grinned to laugh off the tension. "Nice lunch, Genma."

"Hey! I'm not the one who started it!"

Iruka dropped his teasing tone and let his grin soften to a smile. "Thanks. Really. Lunch was great. It's been a while since we've had a chance to talk."

Genma snorted. "You're an investment, baby. And don't forget it."

Iruka laughed.

 _Yeah,_ he decided. _The beach. To hell with responsibility, it's time to live a little._

* * *

Iruka paid the taxi driver and turned to head into his house.

"Yo!"

He stopped and bowed his head in defeat. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?" He ignored the part of himself that was happy to see Crow.

"Maa, I was in the neighborhood--"

"Like hell you were, you idiot stalker." Iruka stormed past Crow, who was slumped against his security fence, reading a small orange book that Iruka recognized as being one of Jiraiya's, a pack slung over one shoulder. "And stop reading porn in front of my house!"

Crow ambled through the gate after him, uninvited. "It's erotica."

"It's porn. I should know, I have to act it." Iruka slammed the gate shut and stalked toward the house, disconcertingly aware of Crow's relaxed presence following behind.

"Mmm. And very nicely, I might add." Crow slipped through the door before Iruka could slam it in his face. "Although I don't think a 17+ rating is exactly _hard_ porn. Lovely entrance atrium, by the way."

"You aren't allowed to comment. You're the one who followed me inside."

"If you're offering tours, I'd love to see your bedroom."

"I'm going to the beach," Iruka announced, glaring. "Are you coming?"

Crow beamed. "I thought you'd never ask!"

* * *

On the drive toward the coast, Iruka was uncomfortably aware of Crow's presence in the seat next to him. After Iruka had turned down Crow's original offer to read aloud to 'entertain' them on the drive, Crow hadn't bothered offering additional conversation gambits, but kept his nose buried in his _Icha Icha_ , giggling obscenely from time to time.

It gave Iruka time to think. He hadn't been as impulsive as this for years, back in the days before his career had taken off and he'd still been something of an outcast.

 _'You've got great instincts. Trust them.'_

Nice of Genma to say, but Iruka wasn't really sure he was willing to make decisions based on instinct rather than reason. Which, of course, he just had. He glanced sidelong at Crow, slouched in the seat next to him, and seemingly totally comfortable being driven who-knew-where by a relative stranger.

It was strange to think that he wasn't the only one at risk, here. Iruka was used to watching out for himself. That was the way of the world in his line of business. He didn't know Crow very well, but somehow it seemed strange for him to be this trusting, too. Crow didn't strike him as the trusting type.

"I can hear you thinking from here," Crow said, his eyes on the page in front of him. "You're interrupting my reading."

Iruka frowned. "Why did you come with me?"

"I told you. I'm in love with you."

"Bullshit. You don't even know me."

Crow closed his book and reclined his seat, nestling into it with a small smirk. "Iruka Umino, highly paid and popular actor. You're a Gemini, birthday May 26th, coincidentally 26 years old at the moment, blood type O, five foot ten inches tall, 146 pounds, athletic build, and a martial artist of some skill. You used to wear your hair in a ridiculous high bushy ponytail, but recently you've grown it longer and now you bind it at the nape of your neck. Sexy, by the way. You love homemade ramen noodles, especially really authentic pork ramen, hate your rice mixed with anything, and have been known to pull pranks when you were younger. No family, no lover – that's where I come in – and overall, a fairly quiet, work-dedicated life, with a ridiculous number of charitable pursuits on the side, primarily focused on at-risk youth. Oh, and you lie about how you got the scar across your nose. I've read at least seven different stories, although my personal favorite is the one when you said you stuck your face too close to a rubber-band airplane propeller when you were eight years old."

"Spouting off that amount of knowledge isn't very reassuring if you're trying to convince me that you're not a stalker or paparazzi." So why wasn't he frightened? By rights, he should be driving to the nearest police station and filing a complaint against Crow.

"Photographic memory." Crow tapped his temple.

Iruka sighed. "Why me?"

"Who knows?" Crow turned his head and gave him his closed-eyed smile. "Divine intervention?"

"There is no god in any earthly firmament that would have stuck me with you," Iruka muttered.

"Even better," Crow said, opening his eyes and looking satisfied. "Our love is greater than the heavens and all of creation."

"You're crazy."

"That's what you keep saying. By the way, take the next left if you want me to show you a beach so secluded I could blow you on the Fourth of July."

"Keep your fantasies to yourself, please. And there's no such thing as a secluded beach in this part of California."

"I never said it was in the area. You won't find out unless you take a left, will you?"

Iruka sighed and put on his directional, recognizing the route Crow wanted him to take. It had been ages since he'd driven the 101 except as part of the freeway system. The Pacific Coast Highway. "What? Do you want me to drive all the way to Big Sur?"

"Mmm. Up for it?"

Iruka was a bit pissed to realize that he really liked the suggestion.

* * *

"You're asking me to drive over the edge of a cliff," Iruka repeated.

"Trust me," Crow said. "There's a road there."

"I'm going to get out and check—"

"Trust me." Crow looked serene.

Iruka stared at him. "Trust you? I don't even know your real name."

"Trust me," Crow repeated again, softly. His smile was both amused and reassuring.

Logic screamed at Iruka that trusting Crow was the last thing he should do. Yet...

"Fuck. I can't believe I'm doing this," Iruka muttered. He took his foot off the brake and tried not to think about how much falling to his death from a rocky cliff two hundred feet above the Pacific Ocean would hurt.

The Jeep's nose dipped and he experienced a moment of panic before he saw the two overgrown ruts of what could only loosely be called a 'road' and which more closely resembled a 'path', and then he was carefully steering along a rough track that clung to the side of the cliff and led downward in a steep dive.

At the bottom, Iruka was astonished to see a small circular patch of grass and sand with a fire pit in the middle of it. He parked the Jeep and they got out.

"I'm still shaking," he said, steadying himself against the vehicle.

"I nearly pissed myself the first time I drove down here," Crow said cheerfully. "Follow me."

He led Iruka over some rocks and down a small, sandy path. He paused and turned, smiling. "Come here."

Iruka walked to Crow's side and gasped.

He was standing at the edge of a bowl-shaped break in the shoreline, surrounded on three sides by sheer, overhanging cliffs. A long pile of boulders and rubble about a hundred feet from shore sheltered the fourth side, the Pacific pounding it so hard that fine spray drifted through the air. The rocks formed a natural breakwater, behind which a small beach had formed, entirely invisible from any point above or around the bowl. The surf was deafening, and wild, and altogether beautiful.

He became aware of Crow watching him. "It's incredible," Iruka said. "Like we're the only people in the world."

"I thought you might like it." He led the way down the last few remaining yards to the beach and dropped his backpack on the sand. "The water's sheltered enough that we can swim, as long as we don't go out past the breakers. The undertow gets pretty bad out there, and you'd find yourself either drowned or bashed against the rocks."

"I don't really feel like swimming right now. I'd just like to look around." Iruka walked across the pristine sand. "This is just amazing." He turned to smile at Crow. "Thank you."

Crow coughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Maa, you'd better not look at me like that."

"Why?"

"It makes me want to kiss you."

Iruka could feel his face heat. "Oh," he said. He found it hard to catch his breath. "That."

Crow shook his head. "You're pretty dense for someone who says he reads body language and people's faces for a living."

"I knew. It's just--" Iruka looked down. "I don't get it. I mean, I _would_ get it if it was because I'm an actor. But I don't get that feeling from you."

"What don't you get?"

Iruka shrugged, feeling helpless and confused. "I'm really not that special."

"You're selling yourself short." Crow walked over. "Way too short." He cupped Iruka's jaw and gently pulled his face up until their eyes met.

Iruka stared, his mouth going dry. Up this close, he could see the faint lines on Crow's face, the golden-brown flecks in his deep black eye, his long, white lashes, the slight roughness of his beard beginning to show, the small indents left in his skin from the elastic of his eye-patch. Crow's lips were dry and a bit chapped; Iruka swallowed as Crow's tongue moistened them, unbearably sexy. He made a small noise, not sure if it was protest or pleading, and then they were kissing.

Crow tasted of coffee and spearmint, dusted with sea salt from the spray of the breaking waves. He pulled Iruka close, his hard body firm and strong against Iruka's and feeling so damned good that Iruka shivered. He pressed closer and felt Crow's hand thread through his hair.

His heart pounded in his ears, drowning the surf and the wind, until all he could hear was the sound of the blood in his veins and the panting, desperate sobs he made as Crow cupped his ass and pulled them tight together, and then the ache as Iruka felt his erection press against Crow's hard length.

"I made you a promise," Crow said, his voice deep and husky. "Want me to follow through?"

"Promise?" For the life of him, Iruka couldn't remember any promises.

Crow didn't answer, but dropped to his knees in the sand. Iruka watched, breathless, as Crow unzipped his jeans and spread the plackets wide. "Mmm. A briefs man," he said, smiling up at Iruka. "Nice."

Iruka couldn't look away. He nudged his hips forward, gently.

Crow smiled wider. Not taking his gaze from Iruka's face, he lowered the waistband of Iruka's pants and pulled out his cock. His eyes flickered down and back up. " _Very_ nice."

"Crow," Iruka breathed. He brushed Crow's wild hair back from his covered eye. "So gorgeous." He shivered again as Crow's breath brushed his cock.

"Flattery's not necessary; you're guaranteed a blow job already." He gave Iruka a wicked look. "Don't hold back."

He took Iruka's cock into his mouth.

Iruka gasped and cupped Crow's head, barely stopping himself from thrusting hard into the slick, hot suction. Crow grunted and grabbed his ass, pulling Iruka closer until Iruka could feel the tip of his cock hit deep in Crow's throat. He hissed, and taking Crow at his word, began to move.

Crow relaxed and he sank deeper before pulling out, savoring the strong suction and Crow's brilliant use of tongue. He fought the instinct to close his eyes and concentrate solely on the sensations that Crow was creating, and instead focused on Crow's eye, the heat of his gaze as he watched Iruka's face, his wet lips wrapped around Iruka's cock. A line of saliva dripped from the side of his mouth and flowed down his chin, wet and slick and shiny.

"Yes," Iruka breathed, the sound of his pleasure drowned in the surf.

Crow's mouth curved around his cock, and Iruka smiled back. The breeze from the ocean was cool on his sweat-glazed skin, making Crow's mouth feel even hotter, and the scents of sex and sea seemed almost indistinguishable. Iruka wanted to stay like this forever, his cock buried deep in Crow, Crow's dark gaze drinking in every detail of Iruka's pleasure, but his arousal was quickly peaking.

"Close," he warned.

Crow pulled back, letting Iruka's cock slide out of his mouth. The air was freezing in comparison.

"Fuck me," he said.

"Yes," Iruka replied, breathless. "Condom?"

"Right here."

Crow dug through his backpack, pulling out a blanket and a box of lubricated condoms. Iruka shed his clothing and rolled one on while Crow spread the blanket on the sand.

"Strip," Iruka ordered. "I want to see you."

When he shed his trousers and boxers, Iruka was gratified to see Crow's erection bob high, already hard even though Iruka hadn't yet touched him. He pulled Crow close and kissed him.

By the time Crow was kneeling on all fours in front of him, the tight edge had worn off Iruka's arousal, leaving him hard and aching for the heat of Crow's body. He eased in, aware of the tension in Crow's stance.

"Okay?" he asked.

Crow nodded sharply and pushed back. Iruka bit back a curse as he sank all the way into Crow's ass.

As strong as his need was, Iruka set a slow pace, a teasing glide that had Crow moving his hips impatiently. Iruka steadied him. He was going to give Crow the fucking of his life; he didn't need Crow directing the action from the bottom.

Iruka pushed in deeply, anchoring Crow's hips in his hands. As his groin met Crow's ass, he felt Crow shudder. "Bingo," he whispered with a smile, then aimed for the spot again.

Within moments, he had Crow panting and cursing beneath him, but it wasn't quite good enough. He pulled out.

"What the hell?" Crow demanded.

"Turn over and lay on your back." Crow had looked amazing, sucking his cock. He wanted to see what Crow looked like being fucked. "I need to see your face."

Crow shook his head and laughed. "Definitely a romantic." He lay down and rolled over. "Better?"

Iruka nodded and rolled his clothes into a ball. "Up." When Crow obediently lifted his hips, Iruka slipped the clothes under the small of his back. He sat back on his heels to survey the angle. "Good."

Crow grasped him, his grip firm and warm on Iruka's cock. He pulled Iruka back to his opening. "This time, don't stop."

"Pushy." Iruka carefully slid back in, prodding his hips a few times until he felt Crow tense. "Got it." He aimed for Crow's prostate again and began to move.

The look on Crow's face was amazing, crumpled and strained and full of pleasure. Iruka watched, breathless, then struck Crow's hand away when he reached for his cock, replacing it with his own. Crow's penis was hard and hot, slick with precome. Iruka matched his hand motions to his thrusts and waited.

Within moments, Crow's head was arched back and he was panting through his mouth. "Fuck," he moaned. "Iruka--"

"Close?"

He nodded.

"I want to feel you come," Iruka said. He grasped Crow more tightly and sped up his rhythm. "Come for me, Crow."

"Bastard," Crow muttered with a grim laugh. "Fuck!" He shuddered and thrust his cock into Iruka's hand, arched his back, and came. Iruka was breathless as Crow spilled over his hand, Crow's cock jerking and so slick and hot, while Crow's inner muscles clutched and tightened.

He cursed and came hard, pressed as deeply inside Crow's body as he could go. He just managed to catch himself from crushing Crow under him as he collapsed.

Crow cradled him, laughing softly. "You suck as an actor. I've never seen that face on you in the movies."

Iruka closed his eyes and groaned into the crook of Crow's neck. "That's because I've never fucked you on screen."

"I've never thought of having a career as a sex actor," Crow mused. "Pay well?"

"The pay is shit. I have friends in the business." Iruka loved the scent of Crow's neck after sex, all sweat and come and aftershave, and breathed deep.

"Are you sniffing me?"

"Mm hm. Nice."

"You're crazy." Crow's voice was warm and affectionate. Iruka felt him bury his fingers in Iruka's hair. "Come on, get up."

"Sleep," Iruka protested.

"The tide's coming in."

"Damned ocean," Iruka grumbled. He groaned and rolled off Crow, who stood gracefully and nudged him with a toe.

"Come on. I'm not carrying you up to the camp site."

"Camp site?"

"It's nearly sundown."

Iruka opened his eyes and looked toward the ocean. "Oh! Pretty!"

Crow burst out laughing. "You're useless after sex, aren't you?" He bent to collect his clothes and groaned, putting a hand on the small of his back.

Iruka sat up. "Sore?"

"Hmph." Crow straightened and stretched. He shot a glare at Iruka's grin. "Don't get full of yourself, stud."

Iruka laughed and stood. He stretched, too, loving the freedom of being naked outside without fear of prying eyes. "It's getting cool, isn't it?"

"Evening breeze off the ocean. Come on, let's grab our things. If you take them up to the Jeep, I'll grab some driftwood for a fire."

"Got it." He threw Crow's jeans to him. "You might need these."

"Thanks."

They pulled their jeans on and set to work. The activity did a lot to clear Iruka's head of his post-sex stupor, and he had the fire pit cleaned out and ready when Crow came up with the first load of driftwood. They each made several trips to the beach until they had a decent stack of wood, then Iruka started the fire while Crow pulled a log from the side of the clearing and placed it nearby.

Within a short time, they were sitting on the log, eating the packaged sandwiches that Crow had picked up at a gas station along the way and taking turns drinking from a bottle of wine, since there were no glasses. Iruka pulled the blanket closer around them and stared at the spectacular sunset.

"Cold?"

"A little." Iruka started as Crow snaked an arm around him, then relaxed into the warm embrace. "Can you eat one-handed?"

"Done."

"You'll get gas if you eat that fast."

"We had to eat fast in the desert--" Crow stopped.

"I'd like to hear more," Iruka said, keeping his voice gentle.

Crow shook his head. "Not now." He pulled Iruka closer and leered. "So, when do I get to do you?"

"I didn't realize this was a _quid pro quo_ arrangement."

Crow's hand wandered down Iruka's bare back and nestled in his jeans. "You mean I can't have this?" He looked ridiculously woeful.

"I've got to drive us back," Iruka pointed out. "I'm don't want to have a sore ass distracting me. Later. When we get home." He nuzzled Crow's ear. "Speaking of which, we should probably get going if we want to find a place to stay the night."

"Let's stay here."

"We've only got the one blanket. It gets cold by the ocean at night!"

"You've got a fancy Jeep SUV. The back seats fold down, don't they?" He made an appreciative noise and inclined his head so Iruka could reach his neck more easily. "We can watch the stars through the sunroof."

"Now who's the romantic? If you think sleeping in the back of a Jeep is comfortable, you're crazy."

"Mmm. You keep saying that. One of these days I might believe you."

Iruka sighed. "Fine. But don't complain to me when you wake up stiff in the morning."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy any stiffness I might experience," Crow purred.

And Iruka did.

* * *

They ate breakfast in a diner hunkered beside the highway, in a town so small there was only one sidewalk.

Iruka couldn't stop staring at Crow. Idiot that he was, he was pretty sure he was falling in love.

He knew that he was being stupid, that it was the most foolish, _dangerous_ thing in the world to start to care for someone about whom he knew nothing, but something about Crow made Iruka feel alive in a way he hadn't for a very, very long time. Crow was brilliant and normal and an ass and altogether different from anyone Iruka knew, in all the best ways that made a person both human and important.

Iruka took his time on the drive back down to L.A., Crow slouched in the seat next to him, reading his _Icha Icha_ and occasionally shifting in his seat to run his fingers along Iruka's thigh. Iruka suffered from a steady burn of need strong enough that his fingers went white on the steering wheel whenever they passed a place to stop that offered even a modicum of privacy that he could use to ravish Crow, but he drove by most of them.

It was mid-afternoon by the time Iruka pulled into his driveway. "Come in?"

Crow stretched. "Since you're begging."

"Ass."

"Are you offering or asking?"

Iruka snorted. "Commenting, that's all. Come on. I've got some beer in the fridge, and we can watch movies if you like." He got out of the Jeep.

"Only if they're _Icha Icha_ and star you," Crow leered, climbing out.

"Fine," Iruka said, leading the way up the paved path. "Just as long as you don't do the dialogue..." He stared at his door, heart pounding, unable to speak.

"Fuck!" Crow darted forward and then stopped. "Call Genma. Tell him to get over here, now."

"That's a picture of us," Iruka whispered. He felt dizzy.

"Sit." Crow steered him to the grass and pushed him down. "Head between your knees. Where's your cell?"

"Back pocket." Iruka tried not to hyperventilate. "I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm just over-reacting. Just give me a minute."

A hand pressed his head lower. "Between your knees. Hold your breath if you need to." Deft hands took his phone from his pocket and a moment later he heard Crow say, "I'm at Iruka's. Get over here, now. I'll stay with him until you get here, then I'll need to get my equipment."

Something bothered Iruka about the conversation, but he couldn't get the image of the photo of he and Crow dressed in their running clothes, Crow's hand on his wrist, the stricken look of his own face. Pinned to his door by one of the wickedest looking knives he'd ever seen, the threat implicit and stark.

He remembered that moment. Someone had been watching. Someone had been taking pictures. Someone may have overheard their conversation.

He was suddenly furious with himself for being so naive as to think he wasn't always being watched, that he had the same right as everyone else to a normal life, a private life, a life free from paparazzi. He swallowed back bile. "I'm fine."

"You don't look it."

Crow's flat tone spurred him where sympathy wouldn't have. He lifted his head. "That bastard."

Crow glanced down at him. "Do you know who it is?"

Iruka shook his head. "Genma told me to watch out for someone called the Ghost."

A brief nod. "I've been looking into him. If he's who I think he is, he's former Navy, made it through Seals, but was discharged after one of his teammates died during a mission. I could never prove it, but circumstances were suspicious enough that the higher ups wanted him out, especially when it started to look like he was selling secrets on the side. Since then, he's been living the easy life. Blackmail, mostly. You're his biggest target, yet."

"How do you know all of that?"

"Photographic memory, remember?"

He had the feeling that Crow was avoiding his question. "That's not what I meant. Why did you investigate him? Do you know his name? Who he is?"

Crow shook his head. "Nobody does." He ignored the rest of Iruka's question.

 _Silver hair._

Iruka lifted his head and stared at the silver-haired man beside him. He knew too much. Oh god, had he made one of the biggest mistakes of his life? "How does he get close to people? Genma said he destroyed Itachi Uchiha."

"Seduced him," Crow said absently, scanning the area around them. "Look, I want to get you under cover, but I don't want to disturb the evidence. Is there another way in?"

 _Seduced him._ "No," Iruka said, making himself sound calm, and hiding the panic that threatened to overwhelm him. "I feel safer out here." Something else clicked. "Wait a second." He looked at the back of Crow's head. "You know Genma."

"College roommates."

 _I know someone on the set._ Genma. "Why did you call him? Why not the police?"

Crow glanced down at him, frowning. "You don't want the publicity, do you?"

"This is a crime." Iruka began to ease away. "Publicity be damned."

 _I used to work with Itachi Uchiha._

Fuck. It fit. Genma fit.

"Well, Genma doesn't want it." Crow resumed scanning the area.

 _Oh, god,_ Iruka thought, _Genma knows my routines. Does he set people like me up, and then Crow comes in to do the dirty work?_

"Fuck what Genma wants," Iruka snapped. He held out his hand. "Give me my phone!"

Crow turned and glared. "Wait until he gets here. After you talk to him, then you can call the cops if you still want to."

"Don't you have your own phone?" Iruka cautiously got to his feet, putting more distance between Crow and himself. "Why didn't you use that one?"

"Yours has Genma's number on speed dial."

Another lame excuse. He stepped further away. "Who are you, really?"

"I'll answer all of your questions later, I promise."

Iruka shook his head and began back away in earnest. "I don't think so."

Crow turned to look at him. He looked confused, then realization crossed his face. "You don't trust me." For a moment, Iruka thought he could see a pained, vulnerable expression in his eye, but it was overwhelmed as Crow glared again. "My name is Kakashi Hatake. I'm here to protect you."

"Then give me my phone."

"Iruka—"

"My phone, damn it!"

"Iruka!"

"Iruka! Kakashi! Hey, what's going on here?"

Both Iruka and Crow whirled as Genma ran up the driveway. Iruka cursed, poised to run, when he heard the sirens.

"The police," he snapped at Genma. "Did you call them?"

"Well, yeah." Genma looked confused. "I know you. You'd want me to, right?"

Iruka stared, and Crow pushed past him, none too gently. "This idiot doesn't trust us."

A hurt look crossed Genma's face. "Iruka?"

For the life of him, Iruka couldn't say anything, his mind blank and his mouth dry. He started shaking as the squad car pulled up in front of his house.

Genma threw him one last confused look before crooking his head at Crow and turning to greet the police officers. Iruka found himself being yanked to the side and pushed back to the ground, Crow kneeling next to him, looking murderous.

"Put your head between your knees and _keep it there this time_ ," he murmured savagely. "You're in shock."

"I don't understand," Iruka whispered, putting his head down. "Who are you?"

"Later."

Time passed in spurts and lulls. Some minutes seemed to whiz past while at other times, they dragged until Iruka felt like screaming. At one point, a police officer asked him a few questions, but he had a difficult time concentrating well enough to answer, and Genma stepped in to take over.

Guilt and fear warred in him. He tried to catch Crow's eye, but Crow avoided him. He didn't look angry any more, just closed off and professional, and as distant as the moon.

Iruka's heart ached. He'd blown it. Blown it big.

Eventually, he found himself sitting on his couch with a blanket over his shoulders, cupping a mug of hot coffee in his hands.

Genma crouched next to him. "I've called Dr. Yakushi. He's coming over to give you another checkup."

"I'm fine," Iruka said automatically.

"No, you're not. Kakashi says you're in shock. That's why you won't stop shivering."

 _Shivering?_ He hadn't realized it, but now that Genma had pointed it out, he could hear his teeth chattering. He tried to clench his jaw, but the tremors persisted. "Kakashi?" he managed to stammer.

"Yeah. Look, I'm really sorry about that." Genma looked pretty miserable. "I thought it would be less stressful for you if you didn't know I'd hired a bodyguard. Kakashi's good at that kind of thing."

 _Really good,_ Iruka thought. His mind shied away from the memories of Crow-- Kakashi's body.

"Who is he?"

"Kakashi Hatake. The owner of Global Security Consultants. He's mainly behind the scenes these days, but he watched over you personally as a favor to me. We were roommates in college." Genma scratched his head. "Actually, we were roommates at the military academy. I got out of it – wasn't for me – but Kakashi made it all the way to the top before he retired."

That didn't make sense. "Too young."

"Yeah, well, people in his line of work don't have a reputation for living long," Genma said, lowering his voice even more. "He was Special Ops times two – he investigated the covert operations that went wrong. As much as it pains me to say it, he's brilliant. He's the best."

Iruka tried to sip his coffee to give himself time to think, but gave it up when the coffee sloshed out of the cup. He heard the front door open.

"Over here, Dr. Yakushi," Genma said.

Dr. Yakushi knelt next to Iruka. "You've had quite a busy couple of days, haven't you, Mr. Umino?" Iruka couldn't see his eyes behind his glasses, but he sounded amused.

"He's been going in and out of it," Genma said, moving out of the way. "His skin is cold, too."

"Classic shock symptoms. I'll check you over, and if there's nothing else wrong with you, I'll give you a shot of a mild tranquillizer."

Iruka obediently followed all of the doctor's requests, and a few minutes later, felt the pinch of an injection.

"You'll want to get him to his bedroom before that takes effect," Dr. Yakushi said to Genma as he packed his equipment back into his bag.

"Right. Come on, Iruka." The coffee cup was lifted from his hands and Iruka watched as Genma put it on the table. "Let me help you up."

With Genma's help, Iruka undressed and slipped into his bed, his eyelids already almost too heavy to keep open. "Stay?"

"Kakashi will stay with you," Genma said. "I've got some things to take care of at the police station."

Iruka sighed, his eyes closing. He heard the door to his bedroom open.

"The doctor said he forgot to give him these." Kakashi's voice sent a thrill through Iruka's body.

"I'll put them on his nightstand." He heard a gentle click as the bottle was set down. Genma's voice sounded further away. "The doctor said he'll probably sleep until morning..."

The bedroom door closed with a soft 'click,' and Iruka gave in to his exhaustion.

* * *

His head was clear in the morning.

His relationship with Kakashi and Genma was not.

After he'd thought about it more, he was furious, and didn't have any problem taking it out on Genma. "It's like I'm under house arrest. I'm not allowed to go to work, I'm not allowed to go outside, and on top of it my manager lied to me through his damned teeth."

"It seemed like the best idea at the time," Genma repeated, glaring. "You were fine with it at first!"

"I was fine because you made up the kind of lie I'd be fine with." Iruka glared back. "How the hell am I supposed to trust you anymore?"

"If you're too stupid to know a lie for your own good from a lie to take advantage of you, you're an idiot." Kakashi sounded bored and contemptuous. He'd appropriated the table in Iruka's study and littered it with monitors; he seemed to have cameras posted in every square inch of Iruka's house, if the number of security camera angles covering the multiple screens was accurate.

"Fuck. You." Iruka didn't even bother to look at him, the sexually opportunistic bastard. "I'm not talking to you. You're just the hired help, as far as I'm concerned."

"You wound me," he heard Kakashi murmur.

"What have I been saying to you, Iruka?" Genma demanded. "Haven't I told you to trust yourself? Why don't you give yourself enough credit? Don't you think you're sharp enough to have figured out that something was wrong if we're as dangerous as you're making us out to be?"

"That's bullshit." Iruka crossed his arms. "Whether or not you're lying 'for my own good' or because you want to profit from me, it's still a lie, either way."

Genma threw up his hands. "So what do you want to do?"

"I should fire you, you asshole," Iruka muttered. "You and that jerk that you hired to watch me."

"You'd be a fool to get rid of either of us," Kakashi said.

"Shut the fuck up!" Iruka snapped back. "You're just help. Remember?" He ignored Kakashi's snort of disgust.

"Look, Iruka, I'm sorry I lied to you," Genma said, rubbing his forehead. "You're right. In retrospect, it was stupid. I fucked up. I made a mistake."

"Is there anything else you're hiding from me?" Iruka felt his heart plummet when Genma hesitated. He heard Kakashi groan as he asked, "What?"

Genma sighed. "There was a message on the back of the photo," he admitted. "The Ghost wants you to meet him to talk about a deal. If you don't, he'll publish more pictures."

"I assume there's a timeline."

"By 3:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon," Genma said.

Kakashi snorted. "You're a fool, Genma. You shouldn't have told him. You've always been stupid like that."

"Three?" Iruka thought hard. "He had samples of the other photos he's threatening to release, didn't he? The one he knifed to my door wasn't enough to make any headlines."

"He had a camera in the Jeep," Kakashi said bluntly. "I found the pictures."

"Oh, Christ." Iruka buried his face in his hands. The Jeep. Hours of the occasional sexual innuendos and casual caresses. A night spent sleeping together. The first time Iruka had given someone a blow job. "Holy fucking Christ."

"Yeah," Genma said, his voice apologetic. "But that's the last secret, Iruka. I swear."

Iruka groaned. "So what can I do?"

"Unless you cooperate with us so we can catch him, your career is screwed," Kakashi said. He sounded almost bored. "It's just a matter of whether it'll be bled dry through blackmail by the Ghost, or bled dry through public opinion by publishing the photos. My advice is to tell him to be published and be damned."

"Damn you!" Iruka stood, pushing his chair so violently that it skidded across the floor and tipped. "It's my career you're talking about! I love acting! I've worked my _ass_ off to get where I am today! This is my goddamned _dream!_ " He felt like crying, but he was damned if he'd be that weak in front of Kakashi's indifference. "Just-- Just, _fuck you!_ "

"What's more important to you?" Kakashi's voice was cold. "Your career? Or your pride?"

Iruka glared, and this time the tears fell. He ignored them. "According to you, my career is gone!"

"Mmm." Kakashi sighed and leaned back in his chair, finally meeting Iruka's eyes. "So. Will people remember you as a queer who played straight roles and then dropped out of sight when his secret was discovered? Or will they remember you as a man who stood up for what he believed in, even if it meant everything he'd built would be shattered?"

Iruka stared, his breath escaping in ragged sobs. "You son of a bitch," he whispered.

"I never said I wasn't," Kakashi replied.

Iruka whirled and stalked out of the room. He could hear Genma shouting at Kakashi, and then the sound of running as Genma caught up to him.

"Iruka—"

"Shut the fuck up!"

Everything would be gone. While he had no doubt that Tsunade would still keep him on _Icha Icha_ if she could, he also knew that decisions like that were out of her hands, dictated by the producer regardless of what she wanted. Besides, she had a career to consider, too. If word got out that she had cast a gay man – or at the very least, bisexual – for a straight lead, her credibility could suffer, too.

Iruka ran his hand through his hair. "It's all falling apart." He felt buffeted by conflicting emotions, not sure if he was furious, or mourning.

Genma put a hand on his shoulder. "Look, you have every right to feel sorry for yourself. I don't want to get in the way of that. But there's a bigger picture, you know."

"I admit I was wrong about you," Iruka whispered, trying to calm down. "I jumped to conclusions too fast. It just hurts."

"You followed your heart," Genma said. "Just like I'd expect. You're nothing if not honest, Iruka."

"Then why didn't you trust me?"

"Wha--?" Genma gaped. "I trust you! I always have!"

Iruka shook his head. "No. You didn't. You came up with an elaborate plan behind my back."

"Because I know you!" Genma glanced at the open door of the study and lowered his voice. "You would have nixed security from the start if I'd talked to you."

"I don't need it!"

"Iruka, being good in martial arts doesn't mean shit against a gun! Come here." Genma dragged him to the kitchen, closed the door, and lowered his voice. "Look, remember how I told you I worked with Itachi? Well, he was damned good at fighting, too. But drugs or a weapon wipes that advantage out! I still don't know how the Ghost got to him, but he did, and all the martial arts training in the world wasn't enough to save Itachi!"

"Crow said Ghost seduced him. Just like Crow fucking seduced me!" Iruka's temper built again. "From the first moment I set eyes on him, he came on to me! Why the hell did you assign someone that promiscuous to protect me?"

"What?" Genma looked dumbfounded.

"We had sex!"

Genma stared. "I... I didn't know. I swear. I didn't know!"

As much as Iruka wanted to be angry with him, Genma didn't seem to be lying. Still... "You saw the pictures. From the Jeep."

Genma shook his head. "Kakashi kept those. He just said it was you and some guy."

Crow lied. To Genma. He was playing them both. Iruka felt sick. "Genma. He lied to you. He's Ghost."

"What?"

"Crow is Ghost."

"You're crazy!" Genma grabbed Iruka's shoulders. "I've known him for years!"

"It all fits," Iruka said. He felt like something was bleeding out of him with every word. "The silver hair, the ability to do covert surveillance, the military background – he described the Ghost to me, Genma. It was Crow, to the tiniest detail. And if he seduced Itachi like he seduced me--"

"Kakashi doesn't _do_ sex!" Genma protested. "And when he has, it's always been women! He doesn't trust anyone enough to have a lover!"

"Well, he sure as hell did sex with me! Maybe you don't know him as well as you think. Besides, I'm the one who told you we had sex. If he was being honest, wouldn't he have told you, too? Especially when he 'found' those pictures?"

"He's very private--"

"He's Ghost." Iruka didn't want to believe it, but he honestly couldn't see how Kakashi couldn't be.

Genma looked incredulous, then suddenly relieved. "There's a hole in your theory. Who took the picture of the two of you in the park?"

"I thought it was you, at first," Iruka admitted. "But he could have another accomplice."

"My god," Genma whispered. "No wonder you shut down yesterday. Did you really think I would do that to you?"

"You worked with Itachi. You said it yourself. And you knew Crow, and didn't tell me." Iruka sank into a chair and wiped his arm across his face. "Damn it!"

"Iruka."

Genma sounded so sad. Iruka shook his head. As much as he was sorry he'd hurt Genma, he needed to take care of himself, first. "I just need some time to myself, okay?"

"I'd rather stay with you."

Iruka met Genma's gaze. "Look, I've been burned by you. At the very least, you've humiliated me by assuming that I couldn't handle the truth."

Genma paled, and then nodded stiffly. "Okay. Got it. But I'm going to check in with you again tomorrow, okay?"

"Fine." Iruka turned away from the pain he could see on Genma's face.

"I'm leaving Kakashi here, though." Genma held up a hand as Iruka turned to glare at him. "I know, I know, it doesn't make you happy. But even if you don't trust him, I do. I'll talk to him and make sure he doesn't cross the line and try to come on to you or anything. Tell him that he's just protecting you. And here's something else to think about," he added, going to the door. "He's got a career, too. You think this industry is bad? Try global security. Not even 'don't ask, don't tell.' It's strictly 'no gays allowed.'" He left the room, closing the door behind him quietly.

"How is that my problem?" Iruka whispered.

It suddenly occurred to him that if Genma was right about Kakashi's past relationships, he'd probably taken Kakashi's virginity.

He buried his face in his hands and wished like hell he'd never heard of Kakashi Hatake.

* * *

Iruka shook his head. "I'm sorry, Detective. I wish I could help you more, but I haven't seen anyone suspicious." He avoided looking at Kakashi. "And I don't have any enemies that I know of."

Detective Sarutobi nodded. "That checks out with our records and the other witnesses." He turned to Kakashi. "Mr. Hatake, I would appreciate if you shared any further information you find in your investigation with us. Here's my card, or you can call LAPD and ask for Asuma Sarutobi."

Kakashi nodded. "I'll cooperate fully, Detective."

Iruka watched as Kakashi escorted Detective Sarutobi to the front door and closed and locked it behind him, then followed Kakashi into the study. Kakashi ignored him, leaning on the table and dragging files from one screen to another as he sorted through information.

"Cro--. Kakashi."

Kakashi grunted, but didn't bother to turn from his surveillance gear.

"Can we talk?"

"Why?"

"Look, I'm--" Iruka watched Kakashi's back. "Genma told me about you. He says I was wrong to suspect you."

"Hmm."

"Kakashi?"

Kakashi turned and regarded Iruka. "You said something?"

"Fuck." Iruka stood, clenching his fists and struggling to contain his hurt and anger. "Fine. Ignore me. But when you're ready to talk, I expect you to find me."

Kakashi turned back to his work and adjusted a camera angle from a laptop, his entire demeanor cool and dismissing. Iruka stared at him for a few more moments, then left.

Outside the room, he paused. He should really study the script; he was due back at the shoot the next day, and hadn't done any prep work. Genma had dropped off blue pages for the first scene to be shot, so there were revisions that he needed to memorize.

It seemed so strange to think about going back to the set. Just three days ago, it had been the center of his life, an environment both familiar and safe. Now, it seemed empty and dull, and the thought of the Ghost lurking nearby made Iruka sick to his stomach. Genma had sworn that security had been tightened, and Kakashi had informed Iruka that he would continue to be his bodyguard on the set as well as in Iruka's home.

The front door buzzed. Iruka started for it, but Kakashi came out of the study and waved him back. "It's Yakushi," he said. "I don't want you near the door."

"It's not like anyone's threatened to shoot me," Iruka muttered. Still, he felt uneasy. He hoped the feeling would go away at some point. He liked his house, and didn't want paranoia to drive him out of it.

He waited for Kakashi to bring Dr. Yakushi to the living room and pasted a smile on his face. "Doctor," he said, reaching out to shake Dr. Yakushi's hand. He tried to hide his uneasiness, but couldn't take his eyes off Kakashi. "Thanks for dropping by. I'm doing much better today." He watched as Kakashi went back into the study.

"You look like it." Dr. Yakushi smiled. "Why don't I give you a quick checkup?"

Uneasy, Iruka glanced at the door through which Kakashi had disappeared. Without him in the room, he felt exposed. "Sure."

The examination was quick, but thorough. "Your blood pressure is still high," Dr. Kabuto said, taking off his stethoscope. He frowned. "Did you take those tablets I left for you?"

Iruka thought of the bottle sitting untouched on his bedside table. He winced. "Um, sorry. But really. I feel fine."

"Your body tells me you're lying." Dr. Yakushi shook out two pills. "Take them now and go straight to bed."

Iruka hesitated. He didn't really want the drugs. "What will they do?"

"They'll reduce your blood pressure, and act as a mild relaxant." Dr. Yakushi smiled. "Don't worry. Mr. Hatake is here."

Something in the way he spoke made Iruka's uneasiness grow. Dr. Yakushi closed his case, waiting. He shook his head at Iruka's continued hesitation. "Come on. Let's go to the kitchen and get some water. I can stay with you if you're nervous about the drug's effects."

Iruka allowed himself to be escorted to the kitchen, and took the pills as Dr. Yakushi watched. The doctor steered him toward his bedroom. "Those will take effect in a few minutes. It's best to lie down. Would you like me to stay?"

Iruka shook his head. He just wanted Yakushi out of the house. "I'll let you out."

"I can let myself out," Yakushi said. "Go. Lay down." He watched as Iruka stretched out on the bed. "Good. I'll check in with you later. Sleep for now." He left, pulling the door closed behind him.

Iruka sighed and closed his eyes. He was just starting to relax when he realized he hadn't asked Dr. Yakushi to tell Kakashi that he'd been medicated and would be sleeping for a while. If he got up now, he figured he had the time to go and tell Kakashi himself, and still get back to his bedroom before the meds fully kicked in. If he fell asleep somewhere in between, Kakashi would make sure he got back to his room.

Probably.

Maybe.

It didn't matter.

Iruka rolled out of bed. He was in the hallway when his instincts flared. He hesitated.

Something was wrong.

Heart pounding, Iruka walked as silently as he could, unsure about why he was sure there was danger nearby.

He had to get to Kakashi. Kakashi would keep him safe.

He didn't meet anyone in the hallways, but that wasn't surprising, since Kakashi had insisted that no one could enter the house without his permission, and Dr. Yakushi would have left already. Still, the hair at the back of Iruka's neck prickled.

He reached the study and paused, back pressed against the wall next to the door. A keyboard was clicking. Kakashi was typing. A lot.

Then, he laughed.

But it wasn't Kakashi's laugh.

Iruka closed his eyes and swore under his breath. Then he stepped into the room.

Kakashi was lying on the floor. Iruka couldn't tell if he was alive or not.

"You," he whispered.

Dr. Yakushi looked up. "I should have given you a higher dose," he said, his voice pleasant. "You seem to be resistant to the normal one."

Gray hair. "You're the Ghost."

Yakushi laughed. "That's not what you should be worried about right now, Iruka." He shook his head. "If you'd just stayed in bed and slept, both of you would have lived through this."

A wave of dizziness swept over Iruka, and he grabbed the door jamb to keep his balance.

"What are you doing?"

"Framing Hatake to take the fall as the Ghost," he said with a smile. "I've got plenty of material in appropriately secured files of all of the other people the Ghost has blackmailed. Just uploading them to his computer now, in fact."

"But why?" Iruka was having trouble focusing. "If he was convicted, you'd be out of a lucrative operation."

"Mmm. So true. But it's not difficult to open up business elsewhere. Besides, I owe him." Yakushi's expression turned hard. "I had a good thing going in the Navy. There's a lot of money floating around in Iraq and Afghanistan, for the right information. But he closed me down and got me discharged."

Kakashi had investigated top secret missions that went bad. Iruka suddenly remembered a comment Kakashi had made earlier, about investigating someone he thought was Ghost. "You were selling military secrets."

"Much more lucrative than you small-time civilian targets," Yakushi agreed. "But I needed to get things set up so that everything came together at just the right time and place and I could take Hatake down. I knew sooner or later someone would call him in as a bodyguard. Besides, the side income was nice."

"This wasn't about blackmailing me at all. This was about you trapping Kakashi." Iruka fell to his knees, breathing hard. "You just lied to me, didn't you? You were planning to kill us both all along."

Yakushi knelt next to Iruka and took a handgun from a holster strapped to his ankle. "I'm afraid so. You're a witness, and if I leave him alive after killing you, he'll never leave me alone."

Out of the corner of his eye, Iruka saw Kakashi twitch. Relief flooded him; Kakashi was alive.

Kakashi's eyelid fluttered. He was waking up.

He had to keep Yakushi talking, give Kakashi a chance to recover and make his move. But he was so tired... "When did you become a doctor?" he slurred.

"Interested in my life story?" Yakushi laughed. "You wouldn't stay awake long enough to hear the really good bits. Just give in to the drug and fall asleep, and it'll be painless, I promise you."

Iruka shook his head and nearly fell over. "You bastard," he gasped.

Kakashi's eye opened. Iruka saw him wince and raise a hand to his head. He needed to warn him. "If you kill us, you'll be wanted for murder," he said to Yakushi. "They'll know it's you."

He'd caught Kakashi's attention. He stared straight into Yakushi's eyes, trusting Kakashi to assess the situation quickly.

Yakushi laughed. "I planned for that. Kabuto Yakushi will disappear, never to be seen again. I've got a few other aliases to choose from. Perhaps I'll be a college student, next." He gestured with the gun. "Fall asleep already, would you? I'd like to get going soon. I still have to visit Mr. Shuranui before I leave."

"Genma doesn't know anything," Iruka said. Kakashi had risen into a crouch, silent, radiating deadly intent.

"But he has contacts at Global Security and a reputation for loyalty--" Yakushi whirled and dodged just as Kakashi lunged. "Tricky, Hatake!" His finger tightened on the trigger, his back to Iruka. "I would have shot you earlier, but I didn't want to alarm your pretty actor while he was trying to get some rest." He smiled and aimed at Kakashi. Iruka could see Kakashi gather himself for another attack, but it would be too late…

"No!" Iruka lunged for Yakushi's gun.

"Iruka!"

"Damn it!"

The shouts were simultaneous with the gunshot and the heat that seared through Iruka's chest. He fell, struggling to remain conscious while Kakashi and Yakushi fought.

The gun went off again.

"Kakashi..."

"I'm right here." Hands grabbed him and rolled Iruka to his back; Iruka couldn't muffle his cry of pain. "You're going to be alright, I promise--"

"You're safe," Iruka murmured. He tried to smile. "Sorry…"

Iruka let go.

* * *

"Iruka?"

Iruka gingerly turned his head on his pillow, wincing at the pull on his stitches. "Kakashi."

Kakashi walked over and stood by Iruka's hospital bed. "They said you're doing well."

"Yeah. They've got me doped up on some good stuff." Iruka grinned. "I should get out in a day or two. They just want to make sure I don't pop the stitches by moving around too soon." He sobered. "Thanks for coming. I wasn't sure if you would."

"I was hurt, and pretty angry," Kakashi admitted. "And really, really pissed that you went after Yakushi's gun and got yourself shot. I needed to see that you were alright."

Iruka was damned if he'd tell Kakashi that Ghost's career had been staged exclusively for revenge against Kakashi. "What happened to him?"

"Dead."

Iruka closed his eyes. "Damn."

"I couldn't take a chance," Kakashi replied. "You were more important."

"I understand," Iruka said. He opened his eyes. "How are you doing?"

"It's not the first time I've killed a man, Iruka," Kakashi said quietly.

"I bet it is as a civilian." When Kakashi looked away, Iruka knew he was right. "Thanks for saving my life."

"I'm sorry to have put you through so much." Kakashi stared at the flower arrangement that Tsunade had sent from the studio. "I really did fall in love with you, almost from the moment we met. That much wasn't a lie."

Iruka studied his face, and waited until Kakashi looked at him, plainly nervous about his silence. "I believe you. But never, _never_ make decisions for me again, do you hear me?"

Kakashi's breath caught, and the expression in his eye was so hopeful that Iruka felt his heartbeat quicken. God, Kakashi was beautiful.

"'Again?'"

"Yeah. Again." He smiled, suddenly exhausted. He wanted to sleep. "Idiot."

Kakashi sat on the edge of Iruka's bed. He reached out to brush Iruka's hair from his eyes. "Thank you."

"I'm still pissed at you," Iruka grumbled. "Prick."

"Brat." Kakashi smiled. "I really want to have sex with you."

"Right now?"

"Well... yeah."

"Not happening."

"Tease."

"I'm in hospital!" Iruka protested. "With tubes coming out of me!"

"One tube."

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Twenty tubes or one, the point is I'm injured and exhausted, and having you ask for sex right now is like having a toothache and looking through the window of an ice cream shop."

Kakashi leaned over, nuzzling his ear. "I can make that ache go away."

"So can I. Leave. Now." Shivering at the sigh that breathed into his ear, he relented a bit. "I want to be able to enjoy every second of sex with you, Kakashi. Right now, I'm liable to fall asleep before foreplay even gets interesting."

Kakashi rested his forehead against Iruka's shoulder, warm and solid and so very, very sexy. "All right," he said. "But you're making it up to me, later."

"I'd like that," Iruka replied, burying his fingers in Kakashi's impossible hair. "Very much." A yawn suddenly overtook him, and the soft warmth beneath his hand disappeared. When he opened his eyes again, Kakashi was standing beside his bed with a grin on his face.

"I can take a hint," he said. "Do you like chocolate?"

"Um, yes?"

"Right. Then I'll bring you a fruit basket."

Iruka wondered if he'd heard wrong. "Why doesn't that make any sense to me?"

"It's my incentive program," Kakashi explained, his voice as kind as if Iruka were three years old. "Fruit to build your strength. Sex and chocolate when you can stay awake for more than five minutes at a time. Way more than five minutes, if I have anything to say about it. So you'll need lots of fruit. Hence, fruit basket."

"I like tangerines and pineapple best."

Kakashi began backing toward the door. "Apples it is!"

"Kakashi!"

"Later." He paused in the doorway and gave a lazy salute. "Yo." He left, closing the door behind him.

"Yo yourself," Iruka murmured, smiling. He closed his eyes. "Fine," he whispered. "I'll eat your damned apples. But it had better be really good chocolate."

  
_the end_   



End file.
